Burial apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. L. SMITH. BURIAL APPARATUS.

No! 466,629. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

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' 2 SheetsSheet 2. M. LSMITH. BURIAL APPARATUS.

N6. 466 629. Patented Jan. 6, 1892.

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- A 7'7'OHNEYS UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MURRAY I}. SMITH, OF SMYRNA, OHIO.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,629, dated January 5, 1892.

Application filed June 16,1891. Serial No. 396,528. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MURRAY LINDLEY SMITH, of Smyrna, in the county of Harrison and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an efficient, compact, and easily-handled apparatus for the use of uudertakers, which will enable them to safely lower a coffin into the grave with but little assistance and without the risk of allowing the coffin to slip or fall, which sometimes happens when manipulated in the old way, to the great distress of the friends and discomiiture of the undertaker.

To this end my invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts of a folding derrick with cords and windlasses, which shall be of very light weight and may be folded into such small compass as to be easily carried upon the hearse, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the derdick set up for use. Figs. 2 and 3 are side and edge views of the same folded for trans portation, and Fig. 4 is a detail.

In the'drawings, A A A A are the four legs of the derrick, of which the two end legs at each end are braced apart by the articulated cross-bars B B, which fold upwardly and lock downwardly a little past the horizontal line with a kn uckle-j oint. Connecting the legs at one end to those at the other are two longitudinal braces O O O 0, each having in the middle an articulation or knuckle joint that looks downwardly and folds upwardly. At their upper ends the four legs are jointed at a to short limbs D D, which in turn are jointed at b to end plates E of a cross-head F. The two joints or and b are arranged on axes at right angles to each other, the joints Ct permitting one pair of end legs to fold toward the other pair, while the joints Z) permit one leg to fold toward the other leg of the same end. These joints are so constructed that when fully open they lockt'. a, the legs have an extension 0., that goes beyond the joint a and bears against the limb D between two ribs or flanges a a which stiffen the joint, while the joint I? has two abutting faces 17 17 that lie against each other, and by limiting the outward movement of the end legs away from each other stiffens the upper joints.

The cross-head F is curved downwardly,

and trunnioned upon its upper edges is a tilting frame G. which has two rotary shafts or windlasses II II journaled in the same transversely to the cross-head and geared together by two cog-wheels e e for equal movement.

On one of these shafts is a chain-wheel e,

which by means of a chain or belt 6 connects with a similar chain-wheel 6 below which it is provided with a ratchet and pawl and a crank for turning. To hold the frame G with its shafts horizontal, a curved brace-bar I extends down under the cross-head and has'a notch f, that looks into a loop or catch of said crosshead. Upon each of the two shafts H H are wound two cords g g, with hooks at their lower ends, which are adapted to be caught into eyes or other points of connection on the coffin. One pair of these cords is separated or held away from the other pair, so as to steady the coffin as it descends and prevent it from turning, and for this purpose two detachable rollers J J are arranged in notches in the side braces, as shown.

K are extensible leg-sections arranged to be adjusted to lengthen one or more of the derrick-legs to adapt it to inclined ground. The

extensions are fixed in place by set-screws or bolts and sliding tubes.

In making use of the device it is set up longitudinally over the grave, with the legs projectingbeyond the head and foot of the same.

The coffin is then attached to the hooks on the ends of the cord and then lowered by slowly turning and unwinding the windlasses above by means of the chain-belt and crank-wheel e lVhen the device is to be folded for trans- 9o portation, the books of the cords g are fastened into eyes on the ends of spiral springs h, so as to be kept taut and free from dangling. The curved locking-bar I is released from its catch, and the Windlass-frame is turned ninety 9 5 degrees on its trunnions, so as to throw the Windlass-shafts into a longitudinal position. The rollers J .I are taken out of their notches, and their journals are inserted in the eyes and keepers Z on on the brace-bars O C. These x00 brace-rods are then bent upwardly about their articulated joint, thereby bringing the legs together endwise about the joints a a. The end braces B B are then bent upwardly and bring the legs together sidewise about the joints 1) b, and in this condition the derrick is compactly folded for transportation, as seen in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. A burial apparatus consisting of a crosshead sustaining a Windlass with cords and four supporting-legs, each having at its upper end two joints a and b, with axes at right angles to each other, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the folding legs, of the articulated braces C 0, having notches in their upper edges and eyes or keepers Zm, and the detachable rollers J J, substantially as shown and described. 7

3. The combination of the cross-head F, the limbs D, with abutting faces I) and flanges a and the legs, the three parts being connected by two joints a and b, with axes at right angles to each other, substantially as shown and described.

4:. The combination, with a derrick, of a Windlass and Windlass-frame arranged at the top of the derrick and hung upon trunnions which have their axes at right angles to those of the Windlass, so as to fold into a compact longitudinal position when tilted, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a derrick, of a Windlass and Windlass-frame journaled at the top of the derrick to rock and provided with a curved locking-bar, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, with a derrick, of a pair of Windlass-shafts arranged at the upper end of the same and provided with intermeshing gear-wheels and a chain-wheel, an endless chain, and a lower cranked chain-wheel for operating the same, substantially as shown and described.

MURRAY L. SMITH. Witnesses:

EDWD. W. BYRN, P. B. TURPIN. 

